Kapok product and process of making the same



J. E. DILLARD KAPOK PRODUCT AND PROCESS Of MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 15. 1930 INVENTOR.

dill)- Patented Sept. 1, 1931 JAMES E. ID'ILLARD, OF MIDLOTI-IIAN, TEXAS KAPOK PRODUCT AND PROCESS OF MAKING TI-IETSAME Application filed February 15, 1930. Serial No. 428,686.

My invention relates to prepared kapok and the process of making the same; and the object is to prepare kapok for making comforts and quilts and the like and to provide an improved process of preparing kapok for commercial purposes. Another object is to provide a new article of manufacture which will provide material for manufacturing other products, such as comforts quilts, and the like. One advantage of using the new product is that the articles of manufacture are lighter and a poor conductor of heat and for this reason the articles of manufacture are desirable for bed clothes or covers. Another advantage of such invention is that it requires such small quantities to prepare the articles, the manufacture is more economical and the goods can be sold to consumers at a reasonable price. The articles of manufacf ture can be sold at a. much less price than other articles that are now being used for this purpose. Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the apparatus for carrying out the improved process.

Fig. 2 is a plan view in section of the cleaner mechanism with the cover omitted.

Fig. 3 is avertical section of the same.

Fig. 4 is a section of the heating roller or ironer.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The so-called process or picked kapok is blown by a blast fan 1 through a cleaner 2 which is provided with vertically disposed baflies 3 which are curved, as shown, for retarding the passage of the kapok through the machine or cleaner. Seed and sticks and other material are separated from the kapol. and these elements are thrown down in the hopper-like bottom 4 and may be removed through a door 5. The cleaned kapok is blown in a fiuffy condition to a batting machine. A chute or fine 6 is provided to conduct the material from the cleaner to the batting machine. The flue 6 is tapered for condensing the material to some extent before it reaches the batting machine.

The material is blown against the periphery of a hollow drum 7 and the space within the flue converges towards a heating drum or roller 8. This drum 8 is heated with steam or other heating element. A sheet of canvas 9 is fed off of a roll 10 of canvas onto the drum 7 and the kapok is blown on the canvas 9. The drum or heated roller 8 compresses the kapok on the canvas to form a bat 11. This bat 11 is delivered to an endless conveyor 12 which runs over pulleys 13. The pulleys 13 are driven from the shaft 14: of the drum or batting member 7. The shaft 14 is driven by a pulley 15 which is driven by a belt 16 which is driven by a pulley 17 which may be driven by a line shaft 18. A pulley 19 is rigid with shaft 14 for driving a belt 20 for driving the pulleys 13. The drum or heater 8 is driven by friction against the bat and drum 7. The drum 8 is provided with a heating element by a pipe 21. which may supply a heating'element from any suitable source.

The bat 11 is delivered to a table 22 and may i be cut in any suitable lengths. The canvas 9 becomes a part of the bat and remains as a permanent part of the hat. The bats are to be out to suit the purpose for which the bats are used. The bat is in fact formed by the drum 8 which molds or mats the fibre into a permanent light and flufiy mass, sothat the fibre will adhere together as a felt and the bat is of very light weight and flexible and soft and forms a useful and serviceable article or product for commercial purposes and useful articles for domestic purposes. The bats afford protection against cold because it conserves the warmth for protecting, thebody and is warmer than wool and much warmer than cotton articles. The pressure by the heated roller 8 seems to cement to some extent the fibre so that it adheres together and forms a permanent bat.

The kapok is first cleaned same through the cleaner and blown by the b assin the y P a:

same blast of air through a chute 6 for partly condensing the same. The fibre is further condensed on the drum 7 and the final compression is made by a heated roller 8 for causing the fibre to adhere together to formthe bat into permanent form on the canvas 9.

What I claim is 1. The process of working kapok facing against and into permanent association with a backing fabric characterized by moving the kapok facing and backing between pressure elements one of which is heated, the heated pressure element'bearing directly against the kapok.

2. The process of working kapok into a permanent bat characterized by moving a mass of kapok fibre between pressure elements one of which is heated.

3. The process of working ka )ok fibre into a permanent bat characterized y moving a mass of kapok between pressure elements and simultaneously heating the kapok for causing the release of substance from the kapok to cause the fibre to adhere together.

4. The process of working kapok fibre into a permanent bat characterized by moving a mass of kapok of substantially uniform thickness between pressure elements one of which is heated to cause the release of substance from the kapok to cause the fibre to adhere together.

5. The process of working kapok fibre into a permanent bat which comprises treating a mass of kapok with pressure under the influence of heat for causing the release of substance from the kapok to cause the fibre to adhere together permanently.

6. The process of working kapok into a bat which comprises the treating of a mass of kapok with pressure under the influence of heat the heat and pressure being sufficient to cause release of substance from the kapok fibre to cause the kapok fibre to adhere together into permanent bat form without de stroying the inherent qualities of the kapok.

7. The process of working kapok fibre into .a permanent bat which comprises treating a mass of kapok with pressure under the influence of heat, the heat and pressure being sufficient to cause release of substance from the kapok fibre to cause the ka-pok fibre to adhere together permanently in a light and fiuify mass without destroying the inherent qualities of the kapok.

8. An improved bat for commercial purposes comprising loosely associated kapok fibres and means inherent in said fibres and released from said fibres by heat for holding the fibres together.

In testimony whereof, I set my hand this 8th day of I anuary, 1930.

JAMES E. DILLARD. 

